The recession is causing many companies to take a step back and reevaluate how they run things, including their Web sites. This may be the best time to make sure your business is getting the most from its Web site, which can be done by looking at the site as if you were a prospect. In an article appearing on RainToday, market strategist Vickie Sullivan writes, “Stop and look at your website plans from the buyers’ perspective. What are they looking for and what makes them reach out and contact you? What needs to be on the site so that you can get more qualified leads? Before deciding on the bells and whistles, compare your changes to what buyers want on your site.”
She outlines various ways in which one can cast a critical eye on their Web site, as well as spruce it up so buyers want to make contact. One suggestion is creating a Web site that “mirrors” the prospect. By doing so, a connection can be established. Sullivan writes that to create this important “mirror” connection, Web sites can do the following:
- Name your buyers. I love the “we specialize” language. Example: “We specialize in mid-sized companies that need the best talent to keep growing.” It’s clear; it’s to the point.
- Describe their goals or problems. Ever see a headline on a home page that is a series of questions? That’s an effective strategy borrowed from direct sales. Those questions help visitors say to themselves, “Hey! That’s exactly where I am right now.”
- Seduce with an idealized future. Capture their imagination with a solution. Everyone wants a magic bullet. Authors do this best. One of my favorites is Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point. Who doesn’t want their idea to catch fire?
Read the rest of Sullivan’s suggestions here.
Wednesday, Jul 15, 2009
Jessica Helinski